


Favours Exchanged

by rainier_day



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gen, Hijinks & Shenanigans, M/M, Misunderstandings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-07
Updated: 2019-10-07
Packaged: 2020-11-26 17:00:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20933639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainier_day/pseuds/rainier_day
Summary: Caleb reluctantly does Jester a favour even though he's technically really not that fond of dogs, technically.





	Favours Exchanged

**Author's Note:**

> Just a fun little thing I wrote while dog-sitting for a friend

“Oh, Cay-leb, _please_? Pretty please? There’s literally no one else I can ask! I’ve tried everyone else because I know you technically don’t like dogs as much as cats even though that’s bonkers, technically!”

He sighs and takes his glasses off to massage the bridge of his nose. “Nobody at all?”

“Nobody at all!” Jester repeats mournfully, though without being able to see her, it’s hard to gage how sincere her wailing is. “If Nugget pees on the floor again my mom will be so mad at me! You know I hate it when she gets upset. And poor Nugget, he must be so hungry and sad all by himself!”

Despite his reluctance, even _he _can only resist her begging for so long. “Fine,” he eventually concedes. “If there is really no one else then I will do it.”

There’s a delighted noise on the other line. “Really? You will?”

“Ja, I may not be particularly fond of dogs, but I would not leave you in a lurch like that. I am in need of a break anyway,” Caleb replies. “Let me finish up here and I will drive to your house. I will call you when I am there for further instructions.”

“You know where my spare key is, right?”

Shifting to press his phone against his ear with his shoulder, Caleb nods to himself and starts saving his files. “You always keep it under the doormat and we always tell you it is unsafe.”

Jester laughs. “It’s not unsafe if it’s only you guys using it!”

He loves the woman like a sister but she worries him sometimes. “Nein, that is not… One of these days, we will find a better place for you to hide it.” Hopefully before she gets robbed, he mentally adds. “I will call you back shortly, Jester.”

“Thanks again, Caleb! Love you lots!”

Her words bring a smile to his lips but he doesn’t return them—still too new to this, too awkward. “I will talk to you soon.”

Closing his laptop, he stretches and hears the familiar ringing of a little bell and turns his head to find a ginger tabby standing there and watching him. “Ah, there you are, Frumpkin. I am afraid I need to step out for a moment to go feed Jester’s dog. Please don’t hold it against me.”

The cat meows at him.

“I know, I know. I will bring you back a treat, I promise,” he says, crouching down and reaching his hand out.

As if aware of his transgression, Frumpkin huffs and walks away. 

With an exaggerated sigh, Caleb stands back up with his hands at his hips. “You are being unreasonable, but we will talk about this later. I need to make sure Jester’s dog has not made a mess.” 

Puttering around, he fetches his coat and car keys and walks out the door only to jog back in to grab his glasses off his desk. He nearly makes it to the door again when he remembers to go back for his scarf. For someone who’s been praised as ‘smart’ and ‘sharp’ all his life, he finds himself wondering all too often just how he ever made it this far in the first place.

He stops at the door and does a once-over, patting down his pockets to ensure he has all the essentials on him. Finally satisfied, he leaves the house and steps into his car. Caleb spends the entirety of the 15-minute drive bracing himself for slobbery kisses and dog breath and wrinkles his nose in distaste every time. 

“Nein, you should be happy to help your friend,” he chastises himself quietly over the radio. It’s only been a couple of months since they met the trio, but it’s already become difficult to imagine life without them—even if it means having to draw very clear boundaries every now and then. But still, if it weren’t for Jester’s excessive friendliness, he would still only have Nott. And while that has always been and always will be more than enough for him, he has to admit it’s nice to have other friends if only for the variety in personalities.

Pulling up to the curb of Jester’s house (technically Jester and Beau and Fjord’s house, technically), he parks the car and pulls his phone out to call Jester back. She picks up on the second ring and happily greets him, “Cay-leb, are you there? You always drive like a granny—not that it’s a bad thing! You drive very _safe_ unlike Beau.”

“Danke, Jester. Yes, I am here now,” he says blandly, walking up the sidewalk.

“Really, you and Nott should just move out of that little apartment and come live with us! We have the space, you know? It’s an _entire_ house and we’d have so much fun together!” Jester continues.

Caleb shakes his head, not that she can see. “We have been through this before. I have not changed my mind.”

She tsks at his answer. “I’ll convince you one day.”

“I would not put it past you,” he replies easily. “Now, do I need to do anything more than let your dog out?”

There’s a noise of affirmation. “Yeah, I have to stay late at the studio so if you could feed him too, that’d be really nice of you. Also, if you have time, you can play with him! Nugget _loves_ playing with you, Caleb!”

He stifles a scoff. “I think you may be mistaking play for—” Lifting the corner of the doormat, he freezes. “Jester, did you forget to put your key back?”

“Hmm? Nope, it should be right there.”

“Well, I can promise you it’s not,” Caleb says. Standing up, he reaches over and tries the door to find it unlocked. Inside, he can hear the dog barking. “I think someone may be in your house. Are you sure no one is home?”

Jester hesitates, which does nothing to soothe his nerves. “No, Beau’s at the gym with Fjord right now. He wanted to start working out, remember? Is Nugget okay?—wait, before you check, there’s a bat Beau threw into the bushes a while ago after she lost that game! Maybe it’s still there!”

Caleb arches a brow but searches for it anyway. “Ja, I found it,” he says quietly, pulling it out by the handle. “Jester, I am a very weak man. My wrists are like twigs—you know this. I don’t know what you are expecting me to do other than call the police.”

“But Nugget’s barking, right? He only barks at friends, so maybe it’s someone he knows!” she says. 

Ah yes, the backwards dog who only barks at the ones he loves and trusts. “He also makes friends very quickly, no?”

Jester makes a thoughtful noise. “Yes, but what if someone came home early? I don’t want to call the cops on them by accident! Also then the cops will probably tell my mom and she’ll get super worried and I don’t want that.”

“Beauregard and Fjord have their own keys,” Caleb reminds her. The dog’s excited barking doesn’t cease and he frowns. “What if I lure your dog outside and make a run for it? The others know my voice so they will not be too alarmed—if it _is_ them.”

“Oh, that’s a great idea, Caleb! That way, you’ll both be safe!”

He has a feeling she’s underestimating the severity of the situation, but then, this is the person who trusts the world to not take advantage of her poorly hidden house key. 

Taking a deep breath, he opens the door and lets out a sharp whistle. There’s a pause and then someone lets out a loud yelp and then there’s the sound of paws running on hardwood floors. Caleb quickly realizes he’s made a mistake when the dog appears around a corner with an entire person in tow.

Caleb slams the door shut to stop Nugget more so than the stranger who had wisely released the leash part-way down the hall. The dog leaps up and barks excitedly from behind the door and he takes a few steps back. Bringing his phone back up to his ear, he glares at some middle distance in hopes that Jester will feel it in her studio. “Jester.”

“What happened? Are you okay? Is Nugget okay?”

The door opens and the stranger manages to squeeze out without the dog, looking equally baffled.

“Jester,” he says again, “just because I told you I am gay, it does not mean I want you trying to set me up with another one of your friends.”

A garbled noise comes from the other line. “What do you mean?”

“I _mean_ there is a beautiful person standing in front of your door who is clearly here looking after your dog,” Caleb all but snaps. “Look, I appreciate whatever you are doing but—”

Jester curses loudly. “What? Shit! Wait, Caleb, what are you—ah, balls, I’m getting another call! Sorry, Caleb, wait a second please—”

Caleb narrows his eyes, wondering if she’s trying to worm her way out of this when he sees the stranger lifting his own phone to his ear, now an amused twinkle in his eye. 

“Jester, dear, you really need to check your voicemail more often,” the stranger says, crossing his arms though still smiling. Annoyance quickly fading, Caleb does his best not to notice all the tattoos peeking out from beneath that loose white shirt and ridiculous coat. “Mmhmm, yes, and this handsome man on your front yard? Ah, I see. Very good. We’ll talk more later.”

Before he can properly react to being called handsome and eyed up and down appreciatively, suddenly, there’s a click and Jester’s voice returns. “Sorry, Caleb! That’s my cousin Molly! I forgot I left him a message about Nugget earlier! He just got here and I missed his call because I was talking to you—and did you just call him _beautiful_? Because he totally is and super single and I think you two—”

Mortified, Caleb hangs up on her.

The stranger, Molly, approaches him and smiles. “It seems like my dear Jester and her dog has caused a bit of a misunderstanding between us. My name is Mollymauk Tealeaf. Molly to my friends.”

It takes a moment to tear his eyes away the sway of his hips and snap out of his stupor to mumble a “Caleb Widogast” in return.

Grin widening, Molly spreads his arms in invitation and says, “So, Mister Caleb. Since we both know that this is not Jester’s doing—on purpose anyway, and since we’re both here already, would you be very opposed to this beautiful person inviting you on a walk with him and a hyperactive dog? And perhaps, if all goes well and I don’t lose my arm to this beast, dinner and drinks after?”

Swallowing hard, Caleb shakes his head. “I would not be opposed at all, Mister Mollymauk—to a walk or dinner with you, but I do have one request to make.”

“Oh? And what might that be?”

“Please don’t tell Jester just yet.”

Molly throws his head back and laughs and Caleb, for all his smarts, can’t remember a more lovely sound. “I think that can be arranged.”

**Author's Note:**

> Immediately after, they open the door and Nugget bowls them both over. Molly gets severe rope burns from the leash and Caleb gets unwanted dog kisses but he almost doesn't mind this time.


End file.
